Street-car advertising apparatus.



H. BOERNER.

STREET GAR ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.29,1910.

Patented May 13, 1913.

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H. BOERNER. STREET OAR ADVERTISING APPARATUS APPLICATION TILED NOV 29.1910.

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HERMANN BOERNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK R.CORNWALL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STREET-CAR ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Application filed November 29, 1910. Serial No. 594,685.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Hermann BonnNnn, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Street-Car AdvertisingApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, 'orming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative positions ofthe card carry 15. ing frames of my improved apparatus, and

the pneumatic means for imparting movement to said frames. Fig. 2 is afront elevation of the means located at the ends of the apparatus forimparting movement to the rows of c: rd carrying frames and switchingthe end frames from one row to the other. Fig. 3 is an end elevation ofthe parts seen in Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a front elevation of a portion ofmy improved apparatus with parts broken away for the purpose of clearillustration. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view takenapproximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailsection taken approximately on the line -6--6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is anenlarged detail section illustrating the manner of mounting the cardcarrying frames upon the supporting rails or tracks.

My invention relates generally to an advertising apparatus, and moreparticularly to an advertising apparatus intended for use in streetcarsand like passenger vehicles, and which apparatus is arranged immediatelyabove the windows in the sides of the car or vehicle, and comprises adouble row of card carrying frames, which travel from one end of the earto the other.

The principal objects of my invention are, first; to provide a series ofmoving frames 4 which, when in operation, readily attract attention,thereby enhancing the advertising value of theapparatus, second; toprovide simple tracks or rails upon which the f 'ames are supported andtravel, third; to provide pneumatically operated means at each end ofthe apparatus for imparting movement to the rows of frames, and fourth;to provide simple means at the ends of the apparatus for shifting thecard carrying frames from one row to the other.

5 To the above purposes my invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction land arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompan ing drawings 1 designates a railpreferab y in the form of a narrow metal bar, which forms the track railthat supports the rear row of card carrying frames, and this rail 1 ismounted on studs 9., which are seated in and project a short distanceaway from the face of the wall of the car immediately above the windowsin the sides thereof. This rail is continuous and extends from one endof the car to the other with the exception of a space between each endof the rail, and the end walls of the car, which space is slightlygreater than the length of one of the card carrying frames. The lefthand end of this rail 1 is tapered as designated by 3 in order that thegrooved wheels carried by the card carrying fames, and hereinafter morefully described, will readily travel onto the rail 1 as the frames areshifted from the front row to the rear row at the left hand end of theapparatus.

1 designates a metal bar identical with the bar 1, and which forms therail or track for supporting the front row of card carrying frames. Thisfront rail is mounted on studs 5 projecting from vertically disposedstraps 6 arranged at suitable distances apart and with their endsattached to the wall of the car above the car windows. These straps (3are spaced away from the wall of the car so that the front rail 4occupies a position a short distance in front of the rail 1. The riglithand end of the rail i is tapered in a manner similar to the tapering ofthe left hand end of the rail 1, in order that the grooved wheels on thecard carrying frames will readily ride onto the right hand end of saidrail 4., as the card carrying frames are transferred from the rear rowto the front row at the right hand end of the apparatus.

ed to ride directly upon the top and bottom edges of the rails 1 and 4.Arranged at each end of the apparatus is a trough 11 supported from thewall of the car and positioned so as to receive the lower portions ofthe card carrying frames 7. Arranged beneath each trough is the cardmoving and shifting means, and it Will be understood that this movingand shifting means is the same at both ends of the apparatus with theexception that one is the reverse of the other.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated the moving and shifting means, whichis located at the right hand of the apparatus, and this will now bedescribed: Supported from the wall of the car immediately beneath thetrough 11 is a bracket 12 in the lower portion of which is arranged ahorizontally disposed cylinder 13. Operating in this cylinder is apiston 14 carrying a piston rod 15 which projects through the left handend of said cylinder and carried by the projecting end of said pistonrod is the downturned end 16 of a bar 17, which slides longitudi-.

nally through a suitable bearings formed in the upper portion of thebracket 12. The

right hand end of this bar 17 is bifurcated as designated by 18 and thearms of the fork at this bifurcated end extend upward at the sides ofthe trough 11, and the upper ends of said arms are provided withinwardly projecting fingers 18 adapted to engage against the ends of theframes 7 when the same are moved into the right hand trough 11. Lo catedimmediately adjacent the right hand end of the cylinder 13 is athree-way valve 19, and leading from the housing thereof into the righthand end of the cylinder 13, is a short tubular connection 20. Leadingfrom a suitable source of compressed air supply into the three-way valvehousing is a pipe 21 and leading from said housing is an exhaust pipe22.. 23 designates the valve operating lever, the end of which ispivotally connected to a longitudinally disposed rod 24 located betweenthe cylinder 13 and the bar 17 and which rod slides freely through asuitable bearing formed in the upper portion of the bracket 12. The lefthand end of this rod 24, is bent laterally as designated by 25, and saidlaterally bent end is adapted to be engaged by a lu or finger 26,depending from the right hand end of the bar 17, when the latter hastraveled to its left hand limit of movement. This depending lug orfinger also engages against the upper end of the valve operating lever23, when the bar 17 moves to its right hand limit of movement.

The mechanism just described provides simple means for automaticallyopening and closing the valve 19 to control the admission of air to thecylinder 13, and thereby move the bar 17 toward the left hand whichmovement is essential for moving the front row of cards from the righthand end of the apparatus toward the left hand end.

"The automatic means for shifting the frames from one row to the otherat the ends of the apparatus will now be described: Bearings 27 areformed on the upper por tion of the bracket 12 immediately beneath thetrough 11, and journaled in said bearings adjacent the ends of thetrough are horizontally disposed shafts 28, carrying blades 29 in theform of spiral conveyers.

The upper portions of these conveyers extend through openings 30 formedin the bottom of the trough 11. Loosely mounted on.

the forward ends of the shafts 28 are pinions 31, and formed integralwith said pinions are small ratchet wheels 32. The teeth of theseratchet wheels are adapted to be engaged by pawls 33 carried by disks34, which latter are fixed on the shafts 28. Arranged to slide freelythrough suitable bearings formed in the upper portion of the bracket 12is a bar 35 provided on its upper edge with two sets of rack teeth 36with which the teeth of the pinions 31 engage. Pro-- pawl carries ahorizontally disposed screw 41, which is directly in the path of travelof the rear row of frames. A retractile coil spring 42 is connected tothe right hand end of the bar 35, and the outer end of this spring isconnected to a.fiXed part of the car.

The operation of my improved street car advertising apparatus "is asfollows: The mechanism as shown and described is adapted for moving theentire rear row of cards toward the right hand and the front row ofcards toward the left hand, and thus it is necessary to successivelyshift the cards from the right hand end of the rear row forward into thefront row, and shift the left hand one ofthe front row of cards into therear row at the left hand end of the apparatus.

Assuming that the parts of the shifting and moving apparatus are in thepositions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and that the end of the right hand oneof the rear row of cards is in engagement with the end of the screw 41,further movement toward the right hand by this card will rock the bellcrank carrying the screw 41, upon the fulcrum 40, thereby disengagingthe end of the arm 39 from the lug 38, thus unlocking the bar 35. Theretractile spring 42 pulls the bar 35 toward the right hand and in sodoing imparts rotary motion to the pinions 31 by reason of theirengagement with the rack teeth 36. The ratchet wheels 32 rotate with thepinions 31, and the pawls 33 engaging the teeth of said ratchet wheelsare likewise rotated, and thus rotary motion is transmitted to the disks3 1, and shafts 28, carrying the spiral conveyers 29. The lower edge ofthe right hand frame of the rear row occupies a position within thetrough 11, and between the portions of the spiral conveyers 9.9 thatproject upward through the openings 30, and as said spiral eonveyers arerotated as just described, the engaged frame is shifted to the frontside of the trough 11 in position to be engaged by the front one of thefingers 18, and in position so that the grooved wheels 10 on the rearside of this frame are in alineinent with the right hand end of the rail4. Simultaneous with the engagement of the frame against the screw 41the depending finger 26 engages the upper end of the lever 23, therebyswinging the upper end of said lever toward the right hand, thus openingthe three way valve 19 and permitting compressed air to pass from thepipe 21 through the comnection 20 into the cylinder 13 in front of thepiston therein. As soon as the compressed air is thus permitted to enterthe cylinder, the piston 1 1 therein moved through said cylinder towardthe left hand end thereof, thereby moving the bar 17 toward the lefthand, and consequently causing the front one of the fingers 18 to engageagainst the frame, which can now be desig nated as the right hand frameof the front row, and this frame is moved toward the left hand with thegrooved wheels 10 traveling onto the right hand end of the rail 1. Theleft hand end of this right hand frame bears against the end of thefixed adjacent frame, and as the piston continues to move toward theleft hand of the cylinder 13, by reason of the pressure of air admittedto said cylinder the entire front row of fumes are moved toward the lefthand. Thus the left hand one of the front row of cards is moved into thefront portion of the left hand trough 11, and the front portion of theright hand trough 11 is cleared for the succeeding card shifted forwardfrom the right hand end of the rear row.

The moving and shifting means at the left hand end of the apparatus aresimilar in construction to the moving and shifting means ust described,with the exception that the spiral conveyors are arranged to move aframe from the front row to the rear row, the body of the frame beingpressed rearward by any obvious means or by a form as shown in Figs. 8and 9 of the drawings in which the spring 51, which is carried by thesupport 50 attached to the car wall, operates to engage the upper sideof the frame to be shifted and to force it into the rear row, and theturning on of the air in the left hand cylinder engages the left handframe of the rear row and moves the same, and the entire rear row ofcards toward the right hand. Just prior to the time the bar 17 reachesits limit of movement toward the left hand the depending finger 26engages the laterally bent end 25 of the rod 24, thereby shifting saidrod toward the left hand, and consequently returning the lever 23 to anupright position, thereby closing the valve 1!). Such action cuts offthe supply of air to the cylinder 13, and opens the exhaust through theconnection 20 into the exhaust pipe 22, thus the piston rod, bar 17,arms 18 and lingers 18 are moved toward the left hand to their limit ofmovement, and all of these parts are moved toward the right hand by theengagement of th right hand one of the rear row of cards against therear linger 18, during the movement of said rear row ofcards toward theleft hand. After the bar 35 has been pulled to the right under theinfluence of the rctractile spring 42, as hereinbefore described, saidbar is restored to its locked position by the engagement of the frontone of the arms 18 against the pin 37, projecting from the front side ofsaid bar 35, which movement takes place during the travel of said arm 18toward the left hand, and as said bar is thus moved the pinions 31 andratchet wheels 32 will be rotated, but such rotary movement will not beimparted to the shafts 28 carrying the spiral conveyors 29, for thereason that the pawls 33 will pass idly Over the teeth of the ratchetwheels 32. \Vhen the bar 35 has been moved to full stroke toward theleft the weighted arm 39 of the pawl will reengage behind the lug 38thereby maintaining said bar 35 against movement in a reverse direction.The movements just described take place in regular sequence, and as aresult the two rows of card carrying frames are intermittently moved inopposite directions.

An advertising apparatus of my improved construction is particularlyintended for use on street cars and like vehicles al though theapparatus can be advantagemisly and profitably employed in waitingrooms, show windows, hotel lobbies, or wherever persons congregate.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the form andconstruction of the various parts of my im proved apparatus can bereadily made and substituted for those herein shown and described,without depart-' ing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of whichis set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a support, a series ofindependent and unattached -ard carrying frames arranged for moving uponthe support, pneumatically operatcd means for moving the frames upon thesupport, and means actuated by the frames for throwing the pneumaticallyop- 7 signs from one of said rails to the other.

erated means into operation.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

a pair of rails, a series of independent and unattached card carryingframes arranged .for movement on said rails, pneumatically operatedmeans at the ends of the rails for imparting intermittent movement tothe frames upon the rails, and means actuated by the frames for throwingthe pneumatically operated means into operation.

3. In a device of the class described, including frames mounted upon arail, a fluid actuated motor for shifting said frames longitudinally onsaid rail, comprising a pressure cylinder, a piston in said pressurecylinder, a rod mounted on said piston, and a bifurcated member attachedto said rod and positioned to engage one of said frames.

4. In a device of the class described, including frames adapted totraverse adjacently disposed rails, a fluid actuated motor having areciprocating member adapted to transmit motion to said frames, and ameans actuated from said reciprocating member for shifting the framesfrom one rail to the other.

5. In a device of the class described, a support, a rail aflixed to saidsupport, a bracket atlixed to said support and extending in front ofsaid rail, a second rail affixed to said bracket, a series of separatesigns supported on said first rail, a series of separate signs supportedon said second rail, and means for transferring said signs from one ofsaid rails to the other.

6. In a device of the class described, a support, a rail afiiXed to saidsupport, a bracket afiixed to said support and extending in front ofsaid rail, a second rail supported by said bracket, a series of separatesigns, supporting devices carried on the back of said signs betweentheir top and bottom edges, and adapted to engage either of said rails.

7. In a device of the class described, a support, a rail extendingforwardly from said support, separate signs movably mounted on saidrail, abracket projecting forwardly from said support in front of saidsigns, asecond rail mounted on said bracket and extending forwardlytherefrom,'a second series of signs movably carried on said second rail,and means for moving said 8. In a device of the class described, asupport, a series of separate signs arranged for movement upon saidsupport, operatlng means for moving said signs upon said support, andmeans actuated by the signs for throwing the operating means intooperation.

9. In a device of the class described, a pair of supports, signs mountedon said supports, means for shifting said signs from one support to theother, and means actuated by the signs for throwing said shifting meansinto operation.

10. In a device of the class described, a pair of supports, signscarried by said supports, means for moving said signs along saidsupports, a toothed rack, and a rotary member actuated by said toothedrack and adapted to shift said signs from one support to the other.

11. In a device of the class described, a

support, a single rail mounted on said sup-- port, separate signsmounted exclusively upon said rail in front of the same, asecond supportin front of said signs, asecond single rail mounted on said secondsupport, a second series of separate signs mounted entirely upon saidsecond rail and lying in front of the same, and means for moving saidsigns from one of said rails to the other.

12. An advertising device for cars comprising the combination of asingle rail. supported on the car, a plurality of rigid, unattachedsigns disposed in front-of said rail and supported thereon, a support, asecond single rail lying in front of said signs and attached to saidsupport, a plurality of rigid, unattached signs disposed in front ofsaid second rail and supported thereon, means for moving said signslongitudinally 011 said rails, and means for moving said signs from oneto the other of said rails.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 23d day of November, 1910.

HERMANN BOERNER. lVitnesses M. P. SMITH, E. M. I'IARRINGTOII.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

